Actor / singer Lance Bass claims that the recently released Colton Underwood could receive some backlash from the gay community for “ making money from the experience ” of coming out.
Bass made his comments on the latest episode of The Ben & Ashley I. Almost Famous Podcast this week.
Colton announced he was gay to Robin Roberts on the Good morning America show earlier this week. Deadline reported that he has planned a Netflix reality show about his life as a gay man.
Bass, who was part of the boy group NSYNC, came out as gay in 2006.
“This gay community is very diverse, but we can also be very fickle,” Bass said on the podcast. He will certainly get a lot of backlash from the community at first. Not the majority, but there’s a small percentage of the community that just won’t like that he came out like this, that he makes money from the experience. They don’t think he deserves this attention and is one of those reasons, and this is what I went through when I came out … when you first came out most people have no idea about the LGBT community. “
He added, “They don’t know what the problems are because they have been so separated from it on purpose. So when someone comes out as a public figure, so many people immediately say, “It’s too late.” They don’t like to support it because they don’t feel like you know what you’re talking about yet. But I don’t think Colton is trying to lead that charge because he’s trying to be the spokesperson for the LGBTQ community. “
Bass said he could relate to Underwood’s situation as NSYNC largely followed women. “90% of my fans were women, and they all thought I was straight. I made my money from women and sang about love and used that market. So when I got out it was scary … because now everyone will see me as a liar. “